Rates are starting to skyrocket already

I have seen a crazy drop in spot dry van availability. It's like all the freight disappeared. Prices reflect that of course.
For example Nashville to midwest was an easy $1800-2400 run on 500-600 miles for the last couple of months, on Tuesday I was barely able to get 1500 from Nashville to Grand Rapids.
It does not surprise me though, same thing happens every year. In mid August things start picking up again and things will switch around. Midwest gets hot. Grand Rapids to Nashville will be a $2000 run.

 

That's interesting. I had no idea about how things played out during this time of year. My old freight ran hard out of FL/GA until 7/4 and then was slow for a couple of weeks while we waited for everything to move up to Indiana. Honestly I never minded because I was so tired after the main season (I used to make 50% of my income in May-June... if that sounds like a lot of hours it's because it was) that I mostly just took R&R.

This year I'm discovering that what was previously a product issue actually happens to the whole freight market. Oh well everything catches me by surprise once lol.

 

Yeah, July and December are usually my down periods. I'm slower than I was (but still doubled up already from July last year), but it's ramping back up.

 

I spoke with a Frieghtliner salesman. The wait time for a new Cascadia (146K) is over 6 months now. Same thing with new Volvos. The used equipment prices went up like crazy. Out of commission fleet units - 2013/14 go for 80K! That's almost double for what they were priced in 2016 (5 to 3 years old trucks with 300 - 500k miles). That's 10-15 k higher than the prices of used equipment in 2014(also good year). Is there going to be an influx of newcomers believing in the "skyrocketing" rates, which go out of fuel now? Does it mean we about to see down the toilet rates from 2016/17 soon?

 

It is so true.
I am a chronic pessimist. I need to be surrounded by possitve people assuring me of a bright future, from time to time.